EBAMANGA. 307 



yoa ' was ordered to cruise in tliese seas for the purpose of 

 settling diflSculties in various islands, and of course in these 

 two, the missionaries in connection with the latter made ac- 

 tive preparations for turning the expected visit to account. 

 Accordingly, just previous to our arrival at Anatom, a 

 meeting of missionaries took place under the chairmanship 

 of the Eev. Mr. Inglis — one of the most experienced 

 amongst them — the result of which was a document, luiani- 

 mously agreed to, setting forth the various acts of mal- 

 treatment to which the missions of Tanna and Eramanga 

 had been exposed, which was sent to the Commodore, 

 urging him ' to take such discriminative measures ' as 

 would convince the natives ' that British power would be 

 employed for the protection of British subjects, otherwise no 

 man's life would be safe.' The missionary movement in 

 Sydney, and this strong appeal from persons whose state- 

 ments he felt bound to receive, but had no means of 

 thoroughly testing, were, of course, imperative reasons for 

 his attending to their advice ; and, on his showing a dis- 

 position to do so, he was nut long in learning that the 

 phrase ' discriminative measures ' was, in missionary lan- 

 guage, an euphuism meaning the use of powder and shot. 

 To him, of course, no blame was or could be, in any 

 quarter, attached ; but his experienced advisers did not 

 come off quite as well. In a number of the 'Kecord,' 

 published under the auspices of the ' Board for Missions 

 for the Presbyterian Church,' there appeared, it seems, 

 a very severe article reflecting especially upon Mr. 



